......DE....FRGB..................................MDIM360 - Ver 2.5 (21 Aug 1997) 2100000/00053378EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATIONB119851002EP81109970.419811127enenen168941/8019801128JP198510021985401982060919822319851002198540198501024 4F 16F 9/34 A 4B 60G 13/08 BdeWirbelströmungsventil mit Druckentlastungsvorrichtung für StossdämpferenVortex flow valve with pressure relief means for shock absorberfrSoupape à écoulement tourbillant et à dispositif de décompression pour amortisseur de chocNISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.00228490EPC81314/239(2)2 Takara-cho, Kanagawa-kuYokohama-shi Kanagawa-kenJPFukushima, Naoto1-7-505, Nishikaigan 3-chome TsujidoFujisawa-shi Kanagawa-kenJPIwata, Kazuroh1136-331, ImaizumiKamakura-shi Kanagawa-kenJPHidaka, Kunihiko47-13, Sugita 8-chome Isogo-kuYokohama-shi Kanagawa-kenJPTER MEER STEINMEISTER & PARTNER GbR00100061Mauerkircherstrasse 4581679 MünchenDEDEFRGB19830112198302

The present invention relates to a vortex flow valve with pressure relief means for a piston or a bottom fitting of a hydraulic shock absorber, the shock absorber comprising a hollow inner cylinder, a hollow outer cylinder coaxially arranged with said inner cylinder and defining a fluid reservoir chamber around said inner cylinder, said piston defining first and second chambers within an internal space of said inner cylinder, flow passages for communication between said first chamber and said second chamber, and between said second chamber and said fluid reservoir chamber, through an internal space of said piston and said bottom fitting, respectively, said valve comprising a movable valve body movably disposed within said internal space of said piston or said bottom fitting for movement between a first position into which it is resiliently biased and in which it blocks fluid communicating pressure relief passages between said second chamber and said internal space of said piston or said fluid reservoir chamber and said internal space of said bottom fitting, respectively, and a second position in which it establishes fluid flow from said second chamber to said internal space of said piston, or from said fluid reservoir chamber to said internal space of said bottom fitting, via said pressure relief passages, respectively, said valve body defining a vortex chamber therein for creating a vortex pattern fluid flow when a working fluid flows from said first chamber to said second chamber, or from said second chamber to said fluid reservoir chamber, respectively, and a radial pattern fluid flow in the vortex chamber when the flow through the piston or the bottom fitting is in the respective opposite direction.

A hydraulic vortex-flow shock absorber of this type is disclosed by the US-A-4 082 169, particularly figure 4. A vortex relief valve for a bottom fitting of a shock absorber is disclosed creating a vortex pattern flow when the fluid flows from the lower chamber of a shock absorber to a reservoir chamber. Excess pressure build up in the vortex mode is prevented by means of a vortex throttle operating to control the direction of flow into the vortex chamber. In the opposite direction, a radial pattern flow is created by the vortex valve, and moreover thevortex valve is movable against the force of a spring to open an additional relief passage.

A shock absorber applied, for example, to an automotive vehicle suspension must provide not only sufficient absorbing force for stability of the vehicle but also respond gently enough to avoid rough riding conditions. Therefore, vortex-flow shock absorbers should be provided with a relief valve for relieving excessive hydraulic pressure in order to prevent excessive absorbing forces.

A conventional relief valve of a shock absorber must prevent the pressurized fluid from easily flowing therethrough while the fluid pressure is below a predetermined set pressure. Thus the relief valve is necessarily stiff, which limits its response characteristics to fluid pressure excessive to the set pressure. This may cause maintenance of excessive pressure between the high pressures section and the low pressure section due to insufficient relief effect. Furthermore, the relief valve opens incompletely in response to relatively high fluid pressure exceeding the set pressure and so causes resistance to fluid flow therethrough. This will unnecessarily increase the shock absorbing forces in case of rough riding conditions.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide relief means to be applied to a vortex flow shock absorber, which relief means can effectively and successfully relieve fluid pressure in excess of a set pressure.

To achieve this object, a vortex type pressure relief valve according to the invention is characterized in that the valve body is movable into a third position from said first position to establish direct fluid flow which bypasses said vortex chamber from said internal space of said piston to said second chamber, or respectively from said internal space of said bottom fitting to said fluid reservoir chamber, when the pressure difference between said first and second chamber or between said second chamber and said fluid reservoir chamber becomes greater than a predetermined set value.

The present invention will become fully understood from the detailed description given herebelow and from the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which, however, should not be taken as limitative to the invention but for elucidation and explanation only.

In the drawings:

Referring now to the drawings, particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is illustrated the preferred embodiment of a shock absorber according to the present invention. The shock absorber has inner and outer cylindrical tubes 10 and 12 coaxially arranged with respect to each other. An annular chamber 14 is defined between the inner and outer tubes, which is divided into a pneumatic chamber 16 at the upper portion thereof and a fluid reservoir chamber 18 at the lower portion thereof. A piston 20 is movably disposed within the inner tube 10 to divide the internal space of the inner tube into first upper and second lower chambers 22 and 24. The piston 20 is secured to the lower end of a piston rod 26 slidably passing through sealers 28 and 29 equipped at the top of the inner tube 10. The lower end of the inner tube 10 is closed with a bottom fitting 30.

As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the piston 20 is formed with a central threaded opening 202 to which the threaded end 32 of the piston rod 26 is engaged. Near the threaded opening 202, a pair of vertical through openings 204 and 206 are formed in the piston. The through openings establish communication between the first chamber 22 and circular bore 208 formed on the lower surface thereof. The bore 208 includes an upper smaller diameter section 210 and a lower larger-diameter section 212. A movable valve body 214 is movably disposed within the section 212 of the bore 208. The valve body 214 comprises a dish-shaped member 216 and a disc-shaped member 218. The dish-shaped member 216 is formed with a circular bore 220 on its upper surface, so that the dish-shaped member 218 in concave upward. The disc-shaped member 212 is mounted on the rim of the dish-shaped member 216 to close the bore 220 and define therein a vortex chamber 222. The dish-shaped member 216 has an opening 224 at the center of the bottom thereof. The opening 224 establishes communication between the vortex chamber 222 and the second chamber 24.

The vortex chamber in turn communicates with the first chamber 22 via the vertical through openings 204 and 206, the bore 208 and a pair of vortex passages 226 formed through the side wall of the valve body 214 and opening normal to the radius of the valve body 214 at the inner ends thereof. The outer ends of the vortex passages 226 open to vertical grooves 228 formed on the periphery of the valve body 214. The vertical grooves 228 are respectively connected to horizontal grooves 230 radially formed on the bottom surface of the valve body 214. The horizontal grooves 230 end at a central projection 215 on the bottom surface of the valve body 214.

The central projection of the valve body 214 normally rests on annular spring discs 232 and 234 having central openings 236 and 238. The annular spring discs 232 and 234 are chosen so as to be deformable at a predetermined pressure sufficiently to contact the bottom surface of the valve body 214 at its edge instead of at the central projection 215. Specifically, they must deform by more than the height D3 of the central projection 215 at the edge thereof. The annular spring discs are fitted together and rests on a snap ring 240 which is secured to the internal periphery of the larger diameter section 212 by engagement within a groove 242 running all the way around the larger diameter section 212. The valve body 214 is urged toward the spring discs 232 and 234 by a coil spring 244, one end of which abuts the upper surface of the valve body and the other end of which abuts the ceiling of the bore 208 of the piston 20.

Figs. 6 to 8 show the preferred embodiment of the bottom valve 30 applied to the shock absorber of Figs. 1 and 2. The bottom valve generally comprises a fitting 302 having a stepped opening 304 having an upper first section 306 and a lower second section 308 of smaller diameter than that of the first section. A leaf spring assembly 310 including annular leaf springs 312, 314, 316 and 318 rests on the upper end of the fitting 302. The leaf spring assembly 310 has an aperture 320 at the central portion thereof. A movable valve body 322 rests on the spring assembly 310. The valve body 322 has dish-shaped member 324 having a bore 326 on the upper surface thereof and a closure disc 327 fixed at the top of the dish-shaped member 324 for closing the upper end of the bore 326 so that together they define a vortex chamber 328 in the valve body. The vortex chamber 328 communicates with the fluid reservoir chamber 18 via a central opening 330 formed in the valve body and the aperture 320 formed in the spring assembly 310. On the other hand, the vortex chamber 328 communicates with the second chamber 24 via a pair of vortex passages 332 which open into the vortex chamber 328 normal to the radius thereof. The other end of the vortex passages 332 open into vertical grooves 334 formed on the periphery of the valve body. The vertical groove 334 connects to a horizontal groove 336 formed on the bottom of the valve body 322, and ending at a central projection 335 of the valve body 322. As explained with regard to the piston 20, the dimensions of the bottom surface of the valve body 322 and the spring assembly 310 must be selected such that at a predetermined fluid pressure downward, the spring assembly will deform enough to unseat the central projection 335 and thus open the horizontal groove 336.

A cover member 338 with bore 340 facing downward is movably fitted to the circumference of the fitting 302 and houses therebetween the valve member 322. The cover member 338 has a plurality of legs 342 and a central opening for communication between the second chamber 24 and the. bore 340. A bias spring 346 is disposed within the cover member 338, one end of which abuts the upper surface of the valve member 322 and the other end of which abuts the ceiling of the cover member. The spring 346 urges the the valve member 322 toward the spring assembly 310. The inner tube 10 has an inwardly depressed groove 348 serving as a stopper for the cover member 338.

In the initial position, the piston 20 is positioned at the neutral position thereof. At this position, the valve body 214 is urged towards the spring discs 232 and 234 by the spring 244. The spring force delivered by the spring 244 defines a set force corresponding to a set pressure above which to relieve fluid pressure while the piston 20 moves. Likewise, the valve body 322 is urged toward the spring assembly 310 by the spring 346 at a set pressure.

In the compression stroke, the piston 20 moves downwards so that pressure in the second chamber 24 is thus increased and the fluid pressure in the first chamber 22 is decreased by expansion of its volume. Therefore, the fluid in the second chamber 24 flows into the vortex chamber 222 via the central opening 224. The fluid flowing into the vortex chamber 222 flows therethrough and flows into the first chamber 22 via the vortex passages 226, bore 208 and openings 206 and 204. At this time, upward force is applied to the bottom of the valve body 214 by the increased fluid pressure in the second chamber 24. If the fluid pressure in the second chamber 24 is increased so much so that it exceeds the set pressure determined by the spring 244, the valve body 214 moves upwards with respect to the springs 232 and 234 to permit the pressurized fluid in the second chamber 24 to flow through the clearance formed between the bottom of the valve body 214 and the upper surface of the spring disc 232. Here, the set pressure of the spring 244 is only for urging the valve body 214 toward the spring discs 232 and 234 and therefore is easily overcome by the fluid pressure.

At the same time, the pressurized fluid in the second chamber 24 also flows into the vortex chamber 328 of the bottom fitting 30 via the slots 342 and the vortex passages 332. Thus, vortex flow of the pressurized fluid is produced within the vortex chamber 328 to resist fluid flow therethrough. The fluid in the vortex chamber 328 then flows into the fluid reservoir chamber 18 to increase the fluid pressure therein. This causes reduction of the volume of the pneumatic chamber 16 to accumulate therein.

Here, it should be appreciated that flow amount of the fluid in the second chamber 24 to the reservoir chamber 18 is approximated to the increased piston rod volume in the first chamber.

During this valve motion, the valve body 214 moves upwards within the piston 20 in response to excessive fluid pressure in the second chamber 24 so that substantially no resistance to fluid flow from the second chamber to the first chamber is produced. To accomplish this, the set pressure of the spring 244 is preselected to have a suitably small force against the valve body motion.

Ifthe piston 20 speed during the compression stroke exceeds a predetermined value so that the fluid pressure in the second chamber exceeds a given value, the fluid pressure pressing the valve body 322 becomes greater than the spring force of the spring assembly 310 to deform the latter downwardly. This establishes communication between bore 340 and the fluid reservoir chamber 18 to permit the pressurized fluid in the bore 340 to flow into the fluid reservoir chamber 18 via grooves 336 and 334.

In the expansion stroke, the piston moves upwards to compress the first chamber volume to increase the fluid pressure therein and to expand the second chamber volume to decrease the fluid pressure therein. Therefore, the pressurized fluid in the first chamber 20 flows through the openings 204 and 206 and vortex passages 226 into the vortex chamber 222. Since the fluid in the vortex chamber 222 is discharged normal to the radius of the chamber, vortex flow is produced to create resistance to fluid flow therethrough. This force of resistance serves as the absorbing force against the shock applied to the shock absorber. The fluid in the vortex chamber 222 flows through the opening 224 to the second chamber 24.

At the same time, due to relatively low pressure in the second chamber 24, the valve body 322 is moved upwards to create a clearance between the upper surface of the spring assembly 310 and the lower end of the valve body 322. The pressurized fluid in the fluid reservoir chamber 18 is thus permitted to flow into the second chamber via the slots 342.

If the piston 20 travels faster than a predetermined value in the expansion stroke to compress the fluid in the first chamber 20 to a pressure greater than a given value, the fluid pressure in the bore 208 exceeds a set pressure of the spring discs 232 and 234 to deform them downward. This establishes communication between the bore 208, in turn the first chamber 22 and the second chamber 24 via the grooves 230 and 228.

As described in detail, the shock absorber according to the present invention can effectively prevent extremes of fluid pressure caused by the piston stroke so as to prevent damage which might lead to introduction of air, resulting in lower overall fluid pressure and less effective shock absorbing function in the shock absorber. Thus, the invention fulfils all of the objects and advantages sought therefor.

 1. Vortex flow valve with pressure relief means for a piston (20) or a bottom fitting (30) of a hydraulic shock absorber, the shock absorber comprising a hollow inner cylinder (10), a hollow outer cylinder (12) coaxially arranged with said inner cylinder and defining a fluid reservoir chamber (14) around said inner cylinder, said piston (20) defining first and second chambers (22, 24) within an internal space of said inner cylinder, flow passages (204, 206, 224, 226; 330, 308) for communication between said first chamber (22) and said second chamber (24), and between said second chamber (24) and said fluid reservoir chamber (14), through an internal space (208, 212; 344) of said piston and said bottom fitting, respectively, said valve comprising a movable valve body (214; 322) movably disposed within said internal space of said piston or said bottom fitting for movement between a first position into which it is resiliently biased and in which it blocks fluid pressure relief passages (236, 238; 306, 308) communicating between said second chamber and said internal space of said piston or said fluid reservoir chamber and said internal space of said bottom fitting, respectively, and a second position in which it establishes fluid flow from said second chamber to said internal space of said piston, or from said fluid reservoir chamber to said internal space of said bottom fitting, via said pressure relief passages (236, 238; 306, 308), respectively, said valve body defining a vortex chamber (222; 328) therein for creating a vortex pattern fluid flow when a working fluid flows from said first chamber to said second chamber, or from said second chamber to said fluid reservoir chamber, respectively, and a radial pattern fluid flow in the vortex chamber when the flow through the piston or the bottom fitting is in the respective opposite direction, characterized in that said valve body (214; 322) is movable into a third position from said first position to establish direct fluid flow which bypasses said vortex chamber from said internal space (208, 212) of said piston (20) to said second chamber (24), or respectively from said internal space (344) of said bottom fitting (30) to said fluid reservoir (14) chamber (14), when the pressure difference between said first and second chamber (22, 24), or between said second chamber (24) and said fluid reservoir chamber (14), becomes greater than a predetermined value. 2. Vortex flow valve according to claim 1, characterized in that said internal space (208, 212; 344) of said piston (20) or of said bottom fitting (30) is closed at the open end thereof by an angular spring disk (232, 234; 310) having a central opening (236, 238; 320) closed by said valve body (214, 322) in its first position, said spring disk (232, 234; 310) being responsive to fluid pressure in the internal space (208, 212; 344) to be deformed when the pressure therein exceeds a set pressure. 3. Vortex flow valve according to claim 2, characterized in that said valve body (214, 322) has a radially extending groove (230, 336) on the periphery of its surface engaging the spring disk for relieving fluid pressure in the internal space when the spring disk is deformed. 1. Soupape à écoulement tourbillonnant et à dispositif de décompression pour un piston (20) ou un raccord inférieur (30) d'un amortisseur hydraulique de choc, l'amortisseur de choc comprenant un cylindre interne creux (10), un cylindre externe creux (12) agencé coaxialement avec ledit cylindre interne et définissant une chambre réservoir de fluide (14) autour dudit cylindre interne, ledit piston (20) définissant des première et seconde chambres (22, 24) dans un espace interne dudit cylindre interne, des passages d'écoulement (204, 206, 224, 226; 330, 308) pour une communication entre ladite première chambre (22) et ladite seconde chambre (24) et entre ladite seconde chambre (24) et ladite chambre réservoir de fluide (14), à 'travers un espace interne (208, 212; 344) dudit piston et dudit raccord inférieur respectivement, ladite soupape comprenant un corps mobile de soupape (214; 322) disposé mobile dans ledit espace interne dudit piston ou dudit raccord inférieur pour un mouvement entre une première position dans laquelle il est élastiquement sollicité et où il bloque des passages de décompression (236,238, 306, 308) en communication de fluide entre ladite seconde chambre et ledit espace interne dudit piston ou ladite chambre réservoir de fluide et ledit espace interne dudit raccord inférieur respectivement et une seconde position où il établit l'écoulement du fluide de ladite seconde chambre audit espace interne dudit piston, ou de ladite chambre réservoir de fluide audit espace interne dudit raccord inférieur, via lesdites passages de décompression (236, 238; 306, 308), respectivement, ledit corps de soupape y définissant une chambre de tourbillons (222; 328) pour créer un écoulement du fluide en motif tourbillonnant lorsqu'un fluide de travail s'écoule de ladite première chambre à ladite seconde chambre ou de ladite seconde chambre à ladite chambre réservoir de fluide respectivement et un écoulement du fluide en motif radial dans la chambre de tourbillons lorsque l'écoulement à travers le piston ou le raccord inférieur est dans la direction opposée respective, caractérisée en ce que ledit corps de soupape (214; 322) est mobile à une troisième position à partir de ladite première position pour établir un écoulement direct du fluide qui contourne ladite chambre de tourbillons, dudit espace interne (208, 212) dudit piston (20) à ladite seconde chambre (24) ou respectivement dudit espace interne (344) dudit raccord inférieur (30) à ladite chambre réservoir de fluide (14) lorsque la différence de pression entre lesdites première et seconde chambres (22, 24) entre ladite seconde chambre (24) et ladite chambre réservoir de fluide (14) devient supérieure à une valeur prédéterminée. 2. Soupape à écoulement tourbillonnant selon la revendication 1 caractérisée en ce que ledit espace interne (208, 212; 344) dudit piston (20) ou dudit raccording inférieur (30) est fermé à son extrémité ouverte par un disque élastique annulaire (232, 234; 310) ayant une ouverture centrale (236, 238; 320) fermée par ledit corps de soupape (214, 322) à sa première position, ledit disque élastique (232, 234; 310) répondant à la pression du fluide dans l'espace interne (208, 212; 344) pour se déformer lorsque la pression qui y règne dépasse une pression de consigne. 3. Soupape à écoulement tourbillonnant selon la revendication 2 caractérisée en ce que ledit corps de soupape (214, 322) a une gorge s'étendant radialement (230, 336) sur le pourtour de sa surface engageant le disque élastique pour décomprimer le fluide dans l'espace interne lorsque le disque élastique est déformé. 1. Wirbelströmungsventil mit Druckablaßeinrichtungen für einen Kolben (20) oder ein Bodenstück (30) eines hydraulischen Stoßdämpfers, welcher Stoßdämpfer einen hohlen inneren Zylinder (10) und einen hohlen äußeren Zylinder (12) umfaßt, der koaxial zu dem inneren Zylinder angeordnet ist und um diesen herum eine Fluidbehälterkammer (14) bildet, welcher Kolben (20) erste und zweite Kammern (22, 24) innerhalb des Innenraum des inneren Zylinders begrenzt, mit Strömungskanälen (204, 206, 224, 226, 330, 308) zur Verbindung der ersten Kammer (22) und der zweiten Kammer (24) sowie der zweiten Kammer (24) und der Fluidbehälterkammer (14) durch einen Innenraum (208,212; 344) des Kolbens bzw. des Bodenstücks, welches Ventil einen beweglichen Ventilkörper (214; 322) umfaßt, der beweglich innerhalb des Innenraums des Kolbens oder des Bodenstücks angeordnet ist und zwischen einer ersten Position, in die er elastisch vorgespannt ist und in der er Druckablaßkanäle (236, 238; 306, 308) zwischen der zweiten Kammer und dem Innenraum des Kolbens oder der Fluidbehälterkammer und dem Innenraum des Bodenstücks blockiert, und einer zweiten Position, in der er eine Fluidströmung zwischen der zweiten Kammer und dem Innenraum des Kolbens bzw. der Fluidbehälterkammer und dem Innenraum des Bodenstücks über die Druckablaßkanäle (236, 238; 306, 308) ermöglicht, bewegt werden kann, welcher Ventilkörper im Inneren eine Wirbelkammer (222; 328) zur Erzeugung einer Wirbelströmung bei einem Fluß des Arbeitsfluids von der ersten Kammer in die zweite Kammer bzw. von der zweiten Kammer in die Fluidbehälterkammer und eine radiale Strömung in der Wirbelkammer bei einem Fluß durch den Kolben oder das Bodenstück in entgegengesetzte Richtung erzeugt, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Ventilkörper (214; 322) aus der ersten Position in eine dritte Position beweglich ist, in der ein direkter Fluidstrom unter Umgehung der Wirbelkammer von dem Innenraum (208, 212) des Kolbens (20) zur der zweiten Kammer (24) bzw. von dem Innenraum (344) des Bodenstücks (30) zu der Fluidbehälterkammer (14) hergestellt wird, wenn die Druckdifferenz zwischen der ersten und zweiten Kammer (22, 24) oder zwischen der zweiten Kammer (24) und der Fluidbehälterkammer (14) einen vorgegebenen Wert überschreitet. 2. Wirbelströmungsventil nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Innenraum (208, 212; 344) des Kolbens (20) bzw. des Bodenstücks (30) an seinem offenen Ende durch eine ringförmige Scheibenfeder (232, 234; 310) verschlossen ist, die eine Mittelöffnung (236, 238; 320) aufweist, die durch den Ventilkörper (214, 322) in ihrer ersten Position verschlossen wird, welche Scheibenfeder (232, 234; 310) auf einen Fluiddruck in dem Innenraum (208, 212; 344) anspricht und verformt wird, wenn dieser Druck einen vorgegebenen Druck überschreitet. 3. Wirbelströmungsventil nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Ventilkörper (214, 322) eine radial verlaufende Nut (230, 336) auf dem -Umfang seiner gegen die Scheibenfeder anliegenden Oberfläche zum Ablassen von Fluiddruck in dem Innenraum bei Verformung der Scheibenfeder aufweist.